About the Rappaport Prize

María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Blue Refuge, 2008
Museum Purchase with funds provided by members of the DeCordova Collections and Exhibitions Committee and the Frederick P. Walkey Fund, a gift of the Stephen and Sybil Stone Foundation.

DeCordova's Rappaport Prize supports and celebrates creative accomplishment of a contemporary artist with strong New England ties. The Prize was founded in 2000 by the Phyllis & Jerome Lyle Rappaport Foundation to fulfill the Foundation's mission of promoting leadership in public policy, medical research, and art.

"Our greatest hope with the annual Rappaport Prize is to celebrate an important artist, generate

excitement for their art and perspective, and provide some financial support to advance their

careers to newer heights," says Foundation Chair Phyllis Rappaport.

Each prize is given to foster two goals:

Celebrate the achievement and potential of an artist who has already demonstrated significant creativity and vision.

Encourage the artist to continue in a career of innovative art making.

The Rappaport Prize helps deCordova accomplish its mission of supporting significant contemporary artists while contributing to the vitality of the New England community. DeCordova has a long history in supporting artists with a relationship to New England—individuals who were born, educated, resided, or currently reside in the region. The Rappaport Prize therefore serves both deCordova's and the Rappaport Foundation's commitment to sustain the creative economy of Boston and New England.